"denatures and deactivates the lectin. However, harvesting castor beans may not be without risk. Allergenic compounds found on the plant surface can cause permanent nerve damage, making the harvest of castor beans a human health risk. India, Brazil and China are the major crop producers and the workers suffer harmful side effects from working with these plants. These health issues, in addition to concerns about the toxic byproduct (ricin) from castor oil production, have encouraged the quest for alternative sources for hydroxy fatty acids. Alternatively, some researchers are trying to genetically modify the castor plant to prevent the synthesis of"
"a pale yellow non-edible oil, called ""argemone oil"" or ""katkar oil"", which contains the toxic alkaloids sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine. Four quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids, dehydrocorydalmine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, and oxyberberine, have been isolated from the whole plant of ""Argemone mexicana"". The seed pods secrete a pale yellow latex when cut open. This argemone resin contains berberine and protopine. The seeds resemble the seeds of ""Brassica nigra"" (mustard). As a result, mustard can be adulterated by argemone seeds, rendering it poisonous. Several significant instances of katkar poisoning have been reported in India, Fiji, South Africa and other countries. The last major outbreak in"
"to livestock or provided as birdseed. While some seeds are edible, others are harmful, poisonous or deadly. Plants and seeds often contain chemical compounds to discourage herbivores and seed predators. In some cases, these compounds simply taste bad (such as in mustard), but other compounds are toxic or break down into toxic compounds within the digestive system. Children, being smaller than adults, are more susceptible to poisoning by plants and seeds. A deadly poison, ricin, comes from seeds of the castor bean. Reported lethal doses are anywhere from two to eight seeds, though only a few deaths have been reported"
"when castor beans have been ingested by animals. In addition, seeds containing amygdalin—apple, apricot, bitter almond, peach, plum, cherry, quince, and others—when consumed in sufficient amounts, may cause cyanide poisoning. Other seeds that contain poisons include annona, cotton, custard apple, datura, uncooked durian, golden chain, horse-chestnut, larkspur, locoweed, lychee, nectarine, rambutan, rosary pea, sour sop, sugar apple, wisteria, and yew. The seeds of the strychnine tree are also poisonous, containing the poison strychnine. The seeds of many legumes, including the common bean (""Phaseolus vulgaris""), contain proteins called lectins which can cause gastric distress if the beans are eaten without cooking."
"was charged with manufacturing ricin in his dorm room, as well as the intent of ""[using] the ricin on another undergraduate student with whom he had a relationship"". Mohammed Ali from Liverpool, England was convicted after attempting to purchase 500 mg of ricin over the dark web from an undercover FBI agent. He was sentenced, on 18 September 2015, to 8 years' imprisonment. Ricin Ricin ( ), a lectin (a carbohydrate-binding protein) produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant, ""Ricinus communis"", is a highly potent toxin. A dose of purified ricin powder the size of a few grains"
"Bladderpod oil Bladderpod oil is a seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the ""Physaria fendleri"" and other species of genus ""Physaria"", Native to the plains and mesas of southwestern United States, eastward to Kansas and southward into northern Mexico. Bladderpod oil is rich in lesquerolic acid (C20:1-OH) which is a hydroxy acid. The only commercial source of hydroxy acid is ricinoleic acid (C18:1-OH), found in castor oil. Essentially all castor oil production in the U.S. has been eliminated by a combination of economic factors, excessive allergenic reactions of field and processing workers, and toxicity of the seed meal. The"
"the seeds taken in wine to speed the process of childbirth. In modern herbal medicine it is used as an astringent and diuretic. The plant is a member of the poisonous Ranunculus family and all parts of the plant, including the seeds, are poisonous if ingested. The dried crushed seeds made into a dusting powder will kill lice very effectively. It is possible that inhaling the crushed seeds dust or otherwise absorbing oils from them may cause poisoning or at minimum exhibit symptoms of poisoning. The acute toxicity test in mice showed that ethanol extract and the main flavonoid compound"
"release, his sentence called for Cutler to be placed in a mental health institution. His case is listed in the ""WMD"" section of the Senate ""Making America Safer"" report. Casey Cutler Casey Cutler (born c. 1980) was arrested on 6 June 2005, in Arizona, after sparking a full terrorism investigation and raid over his attempts to extract ricin from castor oil. Ricin cannot be made from castor oil. The recipe requires castor beans. It can be made using a recipe Cutler had downloaded from the Internet. In court, he pleaded that he was trying to manufacture the poison to protect"
"to 1998 in the United States, a non-fatal poisoning by purchased apricot kernels. Apricot kernel An apricot kernel is the seed of an apricot, and is often called a ""stone"". It is known for containing amygdalin, a poisonous compound. Together with the related synthetic compound laetrile, amygdalin has been marketed as an alternative cancer treatment. However, studies have found the compounds to be ineffective in the treatment of cancer, as well as potentially toxic or lethal when taken by mouth, due to cyanide poisoning. Apricot kernels can cause potentially fatal cyanide poisoning when consumed. Symptoms include nausea, fever, headaches, insomnia,"
"Castor oil Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans. The name probably comes from its use as a replacement for castoreum. Castor oil is a colourless to very pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor. Its boiling point is and its density is 961 kg/m. It is a triglyceride in which approximately 90 percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleates. Oleate and linoleates are the other significant components. Castor oil and its derivatives are used in the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and polishes,"
"humans is limited by the toxicity of ascaridole and has therefore been discouraged. In high doses, wormseed oil causes irritation of skin and mucous membranes, nausea, vomiting, constipation, headache, vertigo, tinnitus, temporary deafness and blindness. Prolonged action induces depression of the central nervous system and delirium which transits into convulsions and coma. Long-term effects include pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs), hematuria, and albuminuria (presence of red blood cells and proteins in the urine, respectively) and jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of the skin). Fatal doses of wormseed oil were reported as one teaspoon for a 14-month-old baby (at once) and"
"Abrin Abrin is an extremely toxic toxalbumin found in the seeds of the rosary pea (or jequirity pea), ""Abrus precatorius"". It has a median toxic dose of 0.7 micrograms per kilogram of body mass when given to mice intravenously (approximately 31.4 times more toxic than ricin, being 22 micrograms per kilogram). The median toxic dose for humans ranges from 10 to 1000 micrograms per kilogram when ingested and is 3.3 micrograms per kilogram when inhaled. Abrin is a ribosome inhibiting protein like ricin, a toxin which can be found in the seeds of the castor oil plant and pulchellin, a"
"Abrin Abrin is an extremely toxic toxalbumin found in the seeds of the rosary pea (or jequirity pea), ""Abrus precatorius"". It has a median toxic dose of 0.7 micrograms per kilogram of body mass when given to mice intravenously (approximately 31.4 times more toxic than ricin, being 22 micrograms per kilogram). The median toxic dose for humans ranges from 10 to 1000 micrograms per kilogram when ingested and is 3.3 micrograms per kilogram when inhaled. Abrin is a ribosome inhibiting protein like ricin, a toxin which can be found in the seeds of the castor oil plant and pulchellin, a"
"in water, and letting them dry. The oil contains oleic acid (2-3%), Stearic acid (2-6%), Gadoleic acid and arachidic acid as well as cyanogenic compounds, which must be removed for human consumption. Kusum oil is unusual, with just 37% of common glycerol esters. The oil also contains Linoleic acid (43-50%), Palmitic acid (5-8%), and hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous and must also be removed prior to consumption. The oil is yellowish brown, semi-solid, with the faint odour of bitter almond. When allowed to settle, a light coloured solid fat separates. Kusum oil contains a cyanogenic compound in concentration of 0.03-0.05%"
"nylon, pharmaceuticals and perfumes. Castor oil is well known as a source of ricinoleic acid, a monounsaturated, 18-carbon fatty acid. Among fatty acids, ricinoleic acid is unusual in that it has a hydroxyl functional group on the 12th carbon. This functional group causes ricinoleic acid (and castor oil) to be more polar than most fats. The chemical reactivity of the alcohol group also allows chemical derivatization that is not possible with most other seed oils. Because of its ricinoleic acid content, castor oil is a valuable chemical in feedstocks, commanding a higher price than other seed oils. As an example,"
"calcium to form kidney stones); castor beans are the source of ricin, one of the most powerful poisons in existence; and velvet beans contain 3.1-6.1% L-DOPA, which can be toxic in large quantities. The list of toxic plants is long, but toxicity does not always mean a particular plant should be avoided, the knowledge needed to render toxic plants safe to use already exists in most communities. The contents of a bag of commercial fertilizer is described in terms of NPK -nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K); with nitrogen being the main component of most commercial fertilizers. Oxygen is"
"must be processed and refined to eliminate specific components that could present as a food safety hazard. In particular gossypol, a natural pigment present in the cotton seeds that acts as a natural defense mechanism to insects and other predators, can also act as a toxin to humans, and can lead to infertility in men. Cottonseed oil, like other vegetable oils, is extracted from the seed of the plant, through either mechanical processes such as crushing or pressing, by or chemical processes such as solvent extraction. Cottonseed oil however, is most commonly extracted commercially via solvent extraction. Once the crude"
"triggering allergic reactions. The sap of the plant causes skin rashes. Individuals who are allergic to the plant can also develop rashes from merely touching the leaves, flowers, or seeds. These individuals can also have cross-allergic reactions to latex sap from the related ""Hevea brasiliensis"" plant. The toxicity of raw castor beans is due to the presence of ricin. Although the lethal dose in adults is considered to be four to eight seeds, reports of actual poisoning are relatively rare. According to the ""Guinness World Records"", this is the world's most poisonous common plant. Symptoms of overdosing on ricin, which"
"of the world. An essential oil extracted from eucalyptus leaves contains compounds that are powerful natural disinfectants and can be toxic in large quantities. Several marsupial herbivores, notably koalas and some possums, are relatively tolerant of it. The close correlation of these oils with other more potent toxins called formylated phloroglucinol compounds (euglobals, macrocarpals and sideroxylonals) allows koalas and other marsupial species to make food choices based on the smell of the leaves. For koalas, these compounds are the most important factor in leaf choice. Eucalyptus flowers produce a great abundance of nectar, providing food for many pollinators including insects,"
"which are known for their high levels of toxicity to humans. For example, most of the people of Jonestown died when Jim Jones, the leader of a religious sect, organized a mass suicide by drinking a cocktail of diazepam and cyanide in 1978. Sufficient doses of some plants like the belladonna family, castor beans, ""Jatropha curcas"" and others, are also toxic. Poisoning through the means of toxic plants is usually slower and is relatively painful. Worldwide, 30% of suicides are from pesticide poisonings. The use of this method, however, varies markedly in different areas of the world, from 4% in"
"Ricinoleic acid Ricinoleic acid, formally called 12-hydroxy-9-""cis""-octadecenoic acid is a fatty acid. It is an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid and a hydroxy acid. It is a major component of the seed oil obtained from mature Castor plant (""Ricinus communis"" L., Euphorbiaceae) seeds or in sclerotium of ergot (""Claviceps purpurea"" Tul., Clavicipitaceae). About 90% of the fatty acid content in castor oil is the triglyceride formed from ricinoleic acid. Ricinoleic acid is manufactured for industries by saponification or fractional distillation of hydrolyzed castor oil. The zinc salt is used in personal care products, such as deodorants. The first attempts to prepare"
"Casey Cutler Casey Cutler (born c. 1980) was arrested on 6 June 2005, in Arizona, after sparking a full terrorism investigation and raid over his attempts to extract ricin from castor oil. Ricin cannot be made from castor oil. The recipe requires castor beans. It can be made using a recipe Cutler had downloaded from the Internet. In court, he pleaded that he was trying to manufacture the poison to protect himself from being beaten by the drug dealers to whom he owed money. He was convicted, with his sentence adjusted downward from that recommended by the Sentencing Guidelines. Upon"
"carcinogen that can also cause acute liver hemorrhage and death at higher doses. Proteins can also be natural poisons or antinutrients, such as the trypsin inhibitors (discussed above) that are found in some legumes, as shown in the figure above. A less common class of toxins are toxic enzymes: these act as irreversible inhibitors of their target enzymes and work by chemically modifying their substrate enzymes. An example is ricin, an extremely potent protein toxin found in castor oil beans. This enzyme is a glycosidase that inactivates ribosomes. Since ricin is a catalytic irreversible inhibitor, this allows just a single"
"terpenoids and a tocopherol-related compound have been found in the aerial parts of ""Ricinus"". Compounds named (3""E"",7""Z"",11""E"")-19-hydroxycasba-3,7,11-trien-5-one, 6α-hydroxy-10β-methoxy-7α,8α-epoxy-5-oxocasbane-20,10-olide, 15α-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-3-one, and (2""R"",4a""R"",8a""R"")-3,4,4a,8a-tetrahydro-4a-hydroxy-2,6,7,8a-tetramethyl-2-(4,8, 12-trimethyltridecyl)-2""H""-chromene-5,8-dione were isolated from the methanol extracts of ""Ricinus communis"" by chromatographic methods. Partitioned h-hexane fraction of ""Ricinus"" root methanol extract resulted in enrichment of two triterpenes: lupeol and urs-6-ene-3,16-dione (erandone). Crude methanolic extract, enriched n-hexane fraction and isolates at doses 100 mg/kg p.o. exhibited significant (P < 0.001) anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema model. Global castor seed production is around two million tons per year. Leading producing areas are India (with over three-quarters of the global"
"never proven. In spite of ricin's extreme toxicity and utility as an agent of chemical/biological warfare, production of the toxin is rather difficult to limit. The castor bean plant from which ricin is derived is a common ornamental and can be grown at home without any special care. Under both the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, ricin is listed as a schedule 1 controlled substance. Despite this, more than 1 million metric tons of castor beans are processed each year, and approximately 5% of the total is rendered into a waste containing negligible concentrations of"
"had collapsed from the pressure of stomach fluid and food material entering his abdominal cavity through the tear in his throat. Even the hottest peppers are not literally toxic in reasonable quantities; research has suggested that it would take around 3 pounds (1.36 kg) of the highest-Scoville peppers, like ghost pepper, to kill a 150-pound (68 kg) adult. However, there are documented fatalities from cardiac arrest caused by the pain and panic induced by pepper spray, the main ingredient of which is oleoresin capsicum, a concentrated capsaicin wax extracted from chili peppers. Allergic reactions to the substance itself, especially asthma"
"neurological symptoms after ingesting excessive doses of star anise or smaller doses of products contaminated with Japanese anise have also occurred. The essential oil of air-dried ""I. anisatum"" seeds obtained by hydrodistillation was analysed by GC–MS. Fifty-two components were identified in the essential oil, the main component being eucalyptol (21.8%). Illicium anisatum Illicium anisatum, with common names Japanese star anise, aniseed tree, and sacred anise tree, known in Japan as , is a tree closely related to the Chinese star anise (""Illicium verum)"". Since it is highly toxic, the fruit is not edible; instead, the dried and powdered leaves are"
"Apricot kernel An apricot kernel is the seed of an apricot, and is often called a ""stone"". It is known for containing amygdalin, a poisonous compound. Together with the related synthetic compound laetrile, amygdalin has been marketed as an alternative cancer treatment. However, studies have found the compounds to be ineffective in the treatment of cancer, as well as potentially toxic or lethal when taken by mouth, due to cyanide poisoning. Apricot kernels can cause potentially fatal cyanide poisoning when consumed. Symptoms include nausea, fever, headaches, insomnia, increased thirst, lethargy, nervousness, various aches and pains in joints and muscles, and"
"it came to be associated with flying ointments in witchcraft. Native Americans used hemlock extract as arrow poison. While the yellow pitcher plant and fool's parsley also contain coniine, there are no reports of traditional uses for these plants. The (""R"")-(−) enantiomer of coniine is the more biologically active, at least in one system (TE-671 cells expressing human fetal nicotinic neuromuscular receptors), and in mouse bioassay, the same enantiomer and the racemic mixture are about two-fold more toxic than the (""S"")-(+) enantiomer (see below). Coniine, as racemate or as pure enantiomer, paralyzes muscles when one or the other molecule blocks"
"can include nausea, diarrhea, tachycardia, hypotension and seizures, persist for up to a week. However, the poison can be extracted from castor by concentrating it with a fairly complicated process similar to that used for extracting cyanide from almonds. If ricin is ingested, symptoms may be delayed by up to 36 hours but commonly begin within 2–4 hours. These include a burning sensation in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, purging and bloody diarrhea. Within several days there is severe dehydration, a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in urine. Unless treated, death can be expected to occur within 3–5"
"as an ornamental tree in many places, such as the Summit Gardens in Panama. The nuts of the tree are collected when ripe, and the tree can produce fruit as young as tall. In indigenous medicine, the fruit is supposedly antiasthmatic and depilatory. The seeds are toxic, especially when consumed in large quantities. The toxicity is derived from the amino acid in the plant that is a selenium analog to cystathionine, through which selenium is stored in the seeds during reproductive growth. The seeds contain approximately 85% of the tree's total selenium in the form of selenomethionine. The seeds taste"
"Toxicodendron Toxicodendron is a genus of flowering plants in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. It contains trees, shrubs and woody vines, including poison ivy, poison oak, and the lacquer tree. All members of the genus produce the skin-irritating oil urushiol, which can cause a severe allergic reaction. The generic name is derived from the Greek words τοξικός (""toxikos""), meaning ""poison,"" and δένδρον (""dendron""), meaning ""tree"". The best known members of the genus in North America are poison ivy ""(T. radicans)"", practically ubiquitous throughout most of eastern North America, and western poison oak (""T. diversilobum""), similarly ubiquitous throughout much of the western"
"1995 carried out the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. Ian Davison, a British white supremacist, and neo-Nazi who was arrested in 2009 for planning terrorist attacks involving ricin poison. In 2011 the United States government discovered information that terrorist groups were attempting to obtain large amounts of castor beans for weaponized ricin use. A subset of bioterrorism, agroterrorism refers to the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease for the purposes of generating fear, causing economic losses, or undermining social stability. The ultimate goal of agroterrorism in killing livestock and plants and contaminating food is to cause"